2012 Weatherhead East Asian Institute Undergraduate Discussion Series

Social Networking and

 Political Participation in East Asia

How is new media shaping the political landscape of East Asia? How is it impacting current events, government response, freedom of speech and grassroots political mobilization? In this new speaker series sponsored by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, experts on media, government, politics and human rights will sit down with students to discuss how social media is changing the nature of communication in the region.

Open to Columbia students only. Spaces are limited and preferential registration will be given to current Columbia College, GS, SEAS and Barnard students. Columbia graduate students can sign up on a wait list to attend each talk, and will be notified if space is available. Please see below for the registration start date and time for each talk.

Breakfast will be served.

This series is co-sponsored by the Columbia University International Relations Forum.

·        Perspectives on Social Media and Political Participation

Friday, January 27 10:30AM – 12:00PM 

International Affairs Building 918

Guobin Yang, Associate Professor, Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures, Barnard College

Travis Mushett, Occupy activist; Ph.D. Candidate, Communications, Columbia University School of Journalism

·         Arab Spring and Beyond: Social Networking and Political Change in the Middle East, Russia and China

            Friday, February 10 10:30AM – 12:00PM

International Affairs Building 918

Xiaobo Lu, Professor of Political Science, Barnard College

Thanassis Cambanis, Journalist

Timothy Frye, Director, The Harriman Institute; Marshall D. Shulman Professor of Post-Soviet Foreign Policy

Co-sponsored by the Middle East Institute and the Harriman Institute

Registration begins Monday, January 30 at 5PM

·         Social Media and Political Participation Before and After the Tōhoku Earthquake

           Friday, February 24 10:30AM - 12:00PM  

      International Affairs Building 918

      Yasuomi Sawa, Kyodo News

Shiho Watanabe, Staff Writer, Asahi Shimbun

Moderated by Dorian Benkoil, Co-founder and Senior Vice-President, Teemingmedia.com

Co-sponsored by the Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture made possible with support from The Orient Finance Co. Endowment for the Donald Keene Center

Registration begins Monday, February 13 at 5PM

·         Across the DMZ: North and South Korean Media

      Friday, March 2 10:30AM – 12:00PM  

      International Affairs Building 918

Euna Lee, Journalist; Author of The World Is Bigger Now (Broadway Press, 2010)

Jenny Wang Medina, Ph.D. Candidate, Modern Korean Literature, Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures

Moderated by Theodore Hughes, Korea Foundation Associate Professor of Korean Studies in the Humanities, Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures

Co-sponsored by the Center for Korean Research

Registration begins on Monday, February 20 at 5PM

·         Cell Phones, Blogs, and DVDs: Digital Politics in Tibet

      Friday, March 23, 10:30AM – 12:00PM 

            International Affairs Building 918

Robbie Barnett, Associate Research Scholar, Weatherhead East Asian Institute; Director, Modern Tibet Studies Program

Registration begins on Monday, March 5 at 5PM